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By Ben Pulman
21 January 2009 13:54
The Mazda 3 is very important to the Japanese manufacturer. Over 30% of the cars it sells are 3s and it’s shifted over 2 million of them since 2003. Now there’s a new one, with a stiffer chassis (albeit not a new one), new tech and much sharper looks. Can it compete with the new Golf, and Megane, not to mention the ever-present Focus and the forthcoming 2009 Vauxhall Astra? Read on for our Mazda 3 first drive to find out.
That is does. The slightly dowdy and dumpy look of the old car has been erased with a much sharper and smarter look. Elements like the triple-creased bonnet, bulging front wheelarches and character lines down the sides stand out, while there’s also Mazda’s new family face with that big five-point grille.
It looks good, though that big grille and black plastic bumper make it look like a pretty girl that’s smiling and bearing her braces. Some vertical rather than horizontal fog lights might have also made the 3 look more dynamic, and the rear lights look a little aftermarket. Still, it’s a good-looking car, and different enough from the old one to stand out – much better than the switch from old to new Mazda 6.
… You’ll find a dash inspired by the Mazda 6's, which means it’s clean and uncluttered, but can also come across as bare and barren. The Mazda 3s we drove were all pre-production cars, but the leather-wrapped wheel was lovely to hold and the general fit and finish was pretty good. Unfortunately for Mazda, its plastics just aren’t up to the standards of the latest Golf's.
The rest of the interior is also a mix. The seats are comfortable, with great side support, and the controls are easy and intuitive to use, with neat lighting touches that flash when you use the stereo or adjust the air-con. And you can spec cornering headlights, a blind-spot system and sat-nav if you wish.
But the sat-nav system can only be controlled by buttons on the steering wheel – Mazda engineers couldn’t answer whether there would be a separate controller for the passengers to use – and the dash that sweeps around the front passenger eats into their knee room nearest the transmission tunnel. The thick C-pillars also make it quite dark in the back, and while the seats fold flat, there’s still a high lip to lift loads over into the boot.
>> Click ‘Next’ to read the rest of CAR’s first drive review of the Mazda 3
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Handling
Performance
Usability
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Readers' rating
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Mazda 3 1.6 (2009) new CAR review
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revcounter says
RE: Mazda 3 1.6 (2009) new CAR review
Off the top you know your Mazda 3 will start every morning and not self-destruct at 50,000 miles like a German car. That's a fair trade for a fancy cabin meant to titillate some panty waste aesthete. Looking back over the years, apart from Setright, the evidence is clear that CAR was and is a stronghold of uptight, all- white ethnocentrism. It helps with native the ad revenue.
27 January 2009 13:56
jer says
Looks a good car to me. I prefer the interior to the Golf it has more flair ditto the rest of the design. I'm often comfused by magazine eulogising Germanic interiors. I have a BMW 5 and see loads of hard plastics and one upper molding that is ok anything but soft, door cards that hard plastic. The Mazda 6s I've been in seem just as good.
22 January 2009 14:07
fasthonda says
CAR was very generous to give a four star rating for performance, considering my single cam,non Vtec 1.6L Civic had 118hp and 106 lb ft. in 1998! Both the front of the Mazda3 and especially the Mazda 6,look like smiles with teeth missing
22 January 2009 12:54
-Joe- says
Its ruddy awsome. The front looks great and this is what can be acheived with a huge fornt mouth without being tacky. Hey up Peogeut. And you know that Mazda is my favourite brand joint top with BMW. It looks great is lighter than its dad like all other Mazdas and well just makes everything so more cheerful, like a 500. Unlike the Golf where somebody forgot to design the back... Mazda the greatest brand and they have no mega niche cars either, just great,w ell engineered and styled cars. they deserve to succed!!!
22 January 2009 12:51
GranDaddo says
I agree with ga41 (especially for comparison with whale mouth Peugeot's). Very reasonable car, good as Auris and fast (almost) as Civic. Regarding interior, its better then Golf VI for sure, no matter if it looks like Suzuki`s. In the end, why they would hide Japanese origin when it works for them (reliable and quality made).
22 January 2009 08:28
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